


She Played the Fiddle in an Irish Band

by JustCallMeHermione



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Ed Sheeran - Fandom, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, Song fic, it will get smutty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:16:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29527680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustCallMeHermione/pseuds/JustCallMeHermione
Summary: This fic was inspired by the song Galway Girl by Ed Sheeran. It's the story of a drunken night shared by two of my favorite characters.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Jon Snow/Sansa Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	1. The Neck

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve never been to Ireland, but I have spent a lot of time reading/watching/listening to Irish stories (Angela’s Ashes, Normal People, Rebellion on Netflix, etc.) so please forgive me for any inaccuracies because I am by no means an expert. I just really wanted to get back into writing and was inspired by Ed Sheeran’s song Galway Girl (which has a lot of Irish references). I’m also trying to expand my writing and write something not part of the A:TLA/LoK universe so here it is. Kudos/comments are always welcome.  
> Sláinte!

“How’s it?” Podrick greets Gendry as he walks up to The Neck, the pub they had heard about at their last gig.  
“Hallo,” Gendry greets his friend and fellow band member.  
“Loras couldn’t make it tonight, so we’re just waiting on Hot Pie, unless you want to head in now,” Podrick explains.  
“You can wait out here for him if you want. I’m gonna dip in to find the jacks real quick. Meet me inside, yeah?” Gendry replied.  
“Sure,” Podrick agreed with a nod of his head.

Gendry opens the old wooden door to the pub and scans the area. He had never been to The Neck before. If he was being honest, it was a little farther away than he’s used to travelling for a night out, but when they were finishing their last gig over at their regular spot, Flea Bottom, the owner of The Neck had invited them to come check the place out to see if they’d be interested in playing a few shows there.  
The Neck looked like most pubs he’d been in before. A long, dark wooden bar, with plenty of stools, lined the entire left side of the room. A few booths ran along the opposite wall with some tables and chairs scattered between. He spied a staircase behind the booths and when he looked up he noticed a loft that held more tables and chairs and a few typical bar games like darts. On the far side, tucked into one corner was a small platform that served as a stage, with the area in front of it completely clear.  
Gendry noticed some doors near the stage that looked like they were marked as restrooms, so he headed in that direction. As he headed to the back, he heard the soft tapping of two drum sticks together like someone was setting a tempo. After that, a band quickly came to life, performing a classic. The music made Gendry pause and take notice of the band. There was a drummer, someone playing the Irish harp, a singer who had a concertina in hand, and a fiddle player.  
His eyes lingered on the fiddle player, taking in her lithe frame swaying slightly as her fingers danced on the small instrument. She was short, definitely shorter than himself, but had very long, dark hair that fell well past her shoulders. Her eyes were closed at first, but when they popped open as her part of the song ended, Gendry’s eyes locked onto hers. A smile spread across her face as she began to play again and Gendry could not help but smile back. When he looked into those steel grey eyes, his heart started fluttering. He was determined to get to know that woman before the night was over.  
A hand found itself on Gendry’s shoulder just then, followed by a voice saying, “Wotcher, Gendry! Did you find the loo?”  
Gendry broke eye contact with the fiddler and spun to see Podrick and Hot Pie had joined him in the pub finally. He stared at them blankly, trying to find his way out of the fog that had gathered in his head.  
“You alright, mate?” Hot Pie prodded.  
Gendry cleared his throat and replied, “Uh, yeah, just grand. I think I found the jacks. I haven’t made my way there yet.” He felt his face start to flush as he thought about the distraction that had thrown him off his original course.  
“Well why don’t you go, then meet us at the bar? We’ll grab you a pint,” Podrick offered. Gendry nodded and separated from his friends. He was grateful the lighting in pubs was so dim because he was positive his neck and face were completely red now.

“Oy! Over here!” Hot Pie called when he spied Gendry exit the restroom. Gendry made his way over to his friends, while quickly glancing over towards the band that was still playing. The fiddler had her eyes open again and when she spotted him looking she gave him a wink. Oh gods, he thought to himself, I’m definitely going to need to meet her soon. He tugged on his shirt collar, Is it hot in here, or is it just me?  
“Here ya go,” Podrick says as he hands Gendry a pint of Guinness, “Looks like you could use a cold drink.”  
Gendry rolls his eyes, “Sláinte!” he replies and takes a long sip of the cool, dark stout.  
“Sláinte!” Podrick replies and follows suit.  
“Cheers!” Hot Pie joins in.  
“Well, what d’you think of the place?” Podrick inquires.  
“It’s a grand place,” Gendry replies.  
“Decent crowd, even for a Thursday,” Hot Pie agrees. Gendry looks around and notices that most of the booths and tables are filled with different kinds of people: some couples on dates, some groups of friends sharing laughs and pints. There were even a few regulars sitting along the bar, slagging the bartender for some opinion he had shared about the football match on the telly. As he scans the pub, he tries to catch another glimpse of the fiddler in the band. He can hear that they’re still playing, but he has to crane his neck to see the stage because of the way Podrick is sitting in the stool facing him.  
“D’you recognize someone here?” Hot Pie asks when he notices Gendry searching.  
“Is it the owner from the other night?” Podrick adds, turning in his chair to look in the same direction as Gendry. “I’d like to say hello and talk to him about setting up a couple gigs here.”  
Gendry ignored his friends as they started chatting about their band and stared intently at the band playing tonight. He was mesmerized by the way the fiddler moved. She closed her eyes a lot and had a rather serene expression on her face when she played. It was as if she belonged to another world, like she was a member of the fae come to share her beautiful gifts with the mortal realm. He sat on the bar stool, completely engrossed in the band’s fiddle player, not paying attention to what his friends were saying.

“Thank you to everyone who came out tonight to listen to us play at our favorite spot, The Neck,” the lead singer of the band announced to the crowd. “It’s always a pleasure playing for ya, and we look forward to seeing you again real soon.” And with that, the band members bowed and left the stage. Gendry watched as the fiddle player grabbed a bag from behind the bar and poured herself a pint and strutted out the front door. He stood with his drink in hand and decided he was going to follow her so he could finally meet the woman he had found so encaptivating.  
“Oy, mate, what are you doing?” Hot Pie asked when he noticed Gendry leave the stool.  
“I’m going out for some air,” Gendry brushed away the question as he headed for the door.


	2. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gendry introduces himself to Arya

Outside, the sky was dark with clouds covering most of the stars and moon. The air was starting to cool off, like it was going to rain soon. He looked around and saw the fiddle player leaned against the wall of the pub, a cigarette hanging from her mouth, pint in one hand while the other tapped a beat while some man stood next to her playing a guitar. Gendry’s face fell a little at the sight of the man she was with. It could very well be her boyfriend, which would make the feeling in his chest change from a pining pain to a dull heartache. However, the fiddle player turned her head in the direction of the front door and noticed Gendry standing there. She smiled when she noticed him and waved him over. Gendry couldn’t help but smile back. He had a good feeling about this woman and he did not want to give up his chances just yet.

“What’s the craic?” Gendry greeted coolly when he was closer to the pair.

“Hallo, I’m Arya,” she returned, flicking the cigarette on the ground and stomping it out so she could hold her hand out. 

Gendry took it and shook it, and replied, “Name’s Gendry.”  _ Smooth _ , he thought to himself,  _ keep playing it cool and everything will be grand.  _ Arya smiled brilliantly at him and Gendry thought his heart would stop. The woman was beautiful, but that smile put her at a whole other level of stunning.

“Wow! Is that Gaelic on your arm?” she exclaimed while pulling his arm closer to her so she could inspect his tattoo sleeve.

Gendry blushed at her touch, “Uh, yeah,” he replied shyly, “It’s from a song one of my friends wrote.”

“Amazing!” she replied, awestruck, “Maybe he can help write some new material for us. What d’you think, Jon?” She turned to face the man standing next to her with the guitar in hand.

“That’d be grand,” Jon replied. He slung the guitar around his back and held out his hand to Gendry.

“Pleasure to meet you, mate.” Gendry took his hand and shook it back, studying the man. They looked to be about the same age, though Gendry had a few centimeters on him. The man had long dark curls in a mop on his head and a thick beard the same color on his face. Gendry thought he was good looking and could be a real lady-killer if he wanted, especially since he was very musically inclined, first playing the drums for the band, and now having a guitar in hand. If this man were a love interest for Arya, Gendry definitely had some stiff competition.

“This is my brother from another mother,” Arya told Gendry by way of introduction with a cheesy grin on her face. A wave of relief washed over Gendry and he felt like sighing, but opted to take a long gulp of beer instead.

“Well, not yet officially,” Jon added.

“No, it’s not official yet, but you’re marrying my sister in a month and you’ve been around the family for as long as I can remember,” Arya retorted, placing her free hand on her hip,as if she were challenging Jon to say she was wrong.

“Wow, a wedding next month. Congrats, mate,” Gendry added, tilting his pint toward Jon and taking a sip. Jon mimicked Gendry’s movements and thanked him once he swallowed his mouthful of beer. Arya took the opportunity to down the rest of her pint. Gendry watched her intently as she did this, noticing the way she elongated her neck slightly to swallow the liquid. He licked his lips as he stared at the nape of her neck, thinking about how she might react if he were to pepper kisses there. 

Arya smacked her lips and stated, “Well, shall we continue this party inside, lads?” 

Jon chuckled at her antics, “Sure, let’s go find Sansa and Jojen too.”

Gendry finished the rest of his pint and explained, “I’ll grab my two friends too. The one who wrote the song is here with me tonight.”

“Perfect!” Arya exclaimed, “Meet us upstairs, and don’t worry about buying anymore drinks. I know the owner.” She winked at Gendry and practically danced inside the pub. Gendry smiled and followed closely behind.  _ This is going to be an unforgettable night, I can feel it. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said before, I've got a lot of this already written and most of it edited, so I'm hoping to finish posting soon.  
> Enjoy!


	3. She took Jamie as a chaser, Jack for the fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drinking, dancing, and a friendly bet

Gendry lost count after his fifth shot of Jameson and his third pint of Guinness. Arya and her friends really knew how to have a good time, especially since Jojen’s dad was the owner of the bar. When there was no price associated with drinking, it really did go down a lot easier. He couldn’t tell if the flush on his cheeks was from all the drinking or how close he was to Arya. When Arya called for the next round, Gendry requested some water for himself so he wouldn’t feel terrible later on.

“What? Can’t hold your liquor without a chaser anymore,” Arya teased him.

He was positive his cheeks turned redder at her teasing and he replied, “If I’d like to see my next birthday, then I gotta stay hydrated.”

“Oh, leave him alone, Arya,” Sansa, her beautiful, red-headed older sister chided, “Once you make it to your late twenties, you can’t drink like you did in your early twenties.” The others chuckled at her very true statement.

“Well, that may be true for you old geezers, but not me,” she retorted confidently and then downed another shot. After that, she jumped up and crawled over Gendry, Podrick, and Hot Pie to exit the booth.

“I feel like dancing now. Anyone care to join?” she yelled back as she made her way to the JukeBox.

“Depends on the song you pick,” Jon called back.

“You mean it depends if Sansa wants to dance,” Jojen teased. Jon rolled his eyes while Sansa and the others giggled. Arya had made her selection and made her way to the dance floor. Pretty Woman by Van Halen started playing from the speakers and she let her body move with the music, much like she had when she was performing earlier in the night. 

“Come on, Jon. I know you like this song,” Sansa ordered her fiancé as she grabbed his hand and tugged him out of the booth. 

Once they were gone, Jojen slid back into the booth and Gendry slid closer to him so he could have a better view of the dance floor and to give his mates some more room since they had been crammed into the booth when everyone was sitting there. 

“So, I hear you write songs in Gaelic?” Jojen prompted the group.

“Aye, we do,” Hot Pie replied, “Though I was born and raised in England, and Gendry there is half English. He grew up in Ireland and picked some of it up from his mum’s side of the family. Podrick here is the expert in our group.”

Podrick blushed at the compliment and agreed, “Yeah, I enjoy writing in Gaelic. It sounds really melodic even before adding any instruments.”

Gendry had checked himself out of the conversation. His focus was on the gorgeous brunette who was swaying along with the music. A few other couples had joined her, Jon, and Sansa on the dance floor, but there was still plenty of room for more. Gendry figured it was now or never, so he decided to take the bull by the horns. He finished his glass of water, then took a shot that had been left on the table for a little more liquid courage. He excused himself from the booth and headed straight for Arya.

“Can I join you?” he asked when he was standing next to her. She opened her eyes and stared into his. It was as if she were reading him closely, analyzing every fiber of his being. After a quick moment of the two staring at each other, she grabbed his hands and put them around her waist and started dancing to the music in his arms. Gendry was by no means an expert dancer, but he liked to think that his musical background gave him some sort of advantage because he could at the very least move in time with the music. And that is exactly what he attempted to do with this gorgeous woman in his arms. 

The rock song ended and a typical club song with a thumping base started up. Gendry was swaying along, his hands still on Arya’s waist when she spun herself so that her backside was now pushed up against him. He felt his face flush at the closeness and naughtiness of her move. Arya was dancing like no one was watching, swaying her hips, allowing her bottom to rub against Gendry. She grabbed his hands and had him slide them up and down her hips while she continued to grind against him. Gendry, who had crossed the line from buzzed to drunk with that last shot, felt emboldened and decided to caress her ass while she danced, hoping to put some space between them so she didn’t notice the erection that was forming in his pants.

He leaned forward and whispered, “Is this alright?” as he squeezed gently. She nodded in return as he pulled back to watch her ass move against him. Meanwhile, she brought her arms to move her hair off her neck and pulled it to one side, exposing her ear and collarbone. Gendry licked his lips at the sight of her exposed flesh.  _ Well, I suppose now’s as good a time as any _ , he thought to himself. 

He brought his face close to the side of her head and spoke directly in her ear, “Can I kiss you, Arya?” He watched as she smirked and looked back at thim. She angled her neck so that it was more exposed then gave him a slight nod. Gendry immediately put his mouth on her neck, nibbling, licking and kissing up to her ear and back down again. He felt her hum in pleasure at his touch. She quickly spun around and had her arms wrapped around his neck while Gendry pulled her a little closer. Her grey eyes darted from his mouth back to his deep blue eyes. She licked her lips then attacked Gendry’s, sloppily kissing and nibbling his bottom lip. Gendry chuckled at this and moved his hands to gently push her back a little.

“Easy there, baby. I just want to dance right now,” he told her. She pouted in return, but then the song changed again and a smile broke out on her face.

“All right, fine. But only because this is one of my favorites,” she acquiesced. 

Gendry and Arya had found themselves around the pool table, playing on the same team against Jon and Sansa while the rest of their crew watched. He had to admit, he and Arya made a pretty great team. They were well ahead of Jon and Sansa and close to winning the game.

“Why did we agree to let the two pool-playing prodigies on the same team?” Jon whined as Arya hit another ball into a pocket.

“Well, we didn’t know that Gendry would be this good,” Sansa tried to reason.

“Jokes on you,” Hot Pie chimed in, “Gen here has been playing pool since he was old enough to walk!” Gendry felt a flush coming on again because of Hot Pie’s words. He did not like other people knowing about the amount of time he’d spent in pubs growing up thanks to his alcoholic father.

Arya shrugged, “He sounds like a talented guy. Care to share any other hidden talents with us?”

Gendry smiled at her, “Well, I also play a fair game of darts, if you must know.”

“Challenge accepted,” Arya proclaimed. She sat her the poolstick down and grabbed Gendry’s arm, tugging him over to the dart boards.

“Oy! What about our game?” Jon called to them.

“We basically won already,” Arya shot back.

“Come on, Jon,” Sansa tugged at her fiancé’s shirt sleeve, “I’m quite jaded and think I’m ready to head home.” 

“I guess I’ll see if Da needs any help closing up tonight” Jojen said to everyone, waving farewell.

“Stay for one more drink?” Hot Pie asked Podrick.

“I don’t know, mate. I think we should just go too.”

“What? And miss out on Gendry making a fool of himself with this girl?  
“I don’t know. He seems to be doing fine. She seems pretty into him too.”

“Ten quid says he blows it,” Hot Pie returned, holding his hand out.

“You’re on,” Podrick agrees to the bet.

“Are you a gambling man, Gendry?” Arya asks as she grabs the darts for the game and hands him his set.

“I try not to be,” he replies, “But it usually depends on the wager.”

“Well then, what about this: if I win, I kiss you. If you win, then I go kiss your mate, Podrick instead.”

“Best two out of three?”

“You’re on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really think I'm gonna have this one all finished up and posted by the end of the week! Stay tuned for more soon.


	4. The Bet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bet is resolved and last call happens

Gendry wasn’t afraid to admit he was a jealous person. Growing up, he did not like sharing his toys with other children or his mom with the boyfriends that came in and out of her life. As puberty hit, he realized he also did not like sharing his girlfriends or crushes with anyone else. Arya was no different. He had left his mark on her earlier on the dance floor and now he wouldn’t be able to share her with anyone, not even Podrick. So when the second game ended and they were tied with a win each, he was determined to stay focused and so he could claim his prize. Gendry started feeling cocky as if he could win this because he had stopped drinking heavy liquor and switched to water and beer while Arya had continued to down shot after shot of whatever was handed to her. Arya was up and nabbed three bullseyes in a row.

“Your turn,” she challenged him with a smirk on his face. Gendry walked up and held the dart. He took a deep breath, trying to sober himself up more, and then released it. He got a bullseye. He repeated the action again and got a second bullseye. He was ready to get his third bullseye in a row when he felt someone standing right behind him. Gendry glanced back and noticed Arya had gotten really close to him. 

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“No, I just wanted to get a front row seat,” she shrugged him off.

“Well, could you step back a bit? I don’t want to hit you.” Arya nodded and he turned back around, preparing to throw the dart again. Just as he went to release it, Arya reached forward and caressed his ass. A chill went up his spine at her touch and the feeling startled Gendry and made him miss the dart board completely, causing him to lose the game.

“What was that for?” he shouted at her.

“You really are good at darts and I didn’t want you to win. So I sabotaged you,” she shrugged. 

Gendry was sobering up, but he still felt angry. He clenched his jaw and fists. Arya started laughing which irked him even more. 

“Why would you do that?” he practically shouted at her.  _ Now she’s going to kiss Podrick. _

“I wanted to win,” she responded coolly, ignoring his anger.

“But that means--” Gendry started but he was cut off when Arya put her lips over his. Gendry stood there with his fists still clenched, caught completely off guard by Arya’s actions. It took a moment for his brain to register what was going on and even longer for his body to respond appropriately. Before he could wrap his arms around her and deepen the kiss, Arya pulled away and laughed. Gendry stared at her, still processing what was going on.

After blinking, he opened his mouth and started, “But, that wasn’t the bet. I thought you sabotaged me because you wanted to-'' He was cut off again when Arya started to pull him in for another kiss by tugging at the belt loops on his pants.

She smiled up at him and said, “I don’t care what the bet was. I don’t want to kiss him, stupid. I want to kiss you.” She closed her eyes and tilted her head up so that she could reach his lips. That was the only thing Gendry needed to hear. He immediately wrapped his arms around the gorgeous girl in front of him and let their mouths explore one another.

“Last call for drinks!” a gruff voice shouted somewhere in the background. Gendry was pretty sure it belonged to the owner of the bar he had met previously, but he didn’t care. He was with this amazing person and he wasn’t going to let something like last call stop him from getting to know her more intimately right here in the middle of the pub. Or so he thought.

At the sound of the voice, Arya broke the kiss and leaned back from him, placing her arms on his chest to create a little space between them. Gendry looked at her, confused and a little disappointed with a pout on his lips.

“Save it for now, Gen. We’ve got one last performance to do,” she explained to him as she led him to the main bar area of the pub.

“Can you keep rhythm?” she inquired as she sat him at a bar stool. He nodded at her, still confused as to what was going to happen. 

“Perfect,” she smiled, “Follow my lead.” Arya stood on one of the stools so that she was the tallest in the room. Gendry looked up at her and drank in her beauty. Despite the copious amounts of alcohol they both had consumed, she looked as beautiful and as graceful as ever and didn’t even wobble being that high up. 

Arya cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. Once the crowd quieted down, which consisted of a few lingering couples who had been dancing and a handful of regular bar flies, she announced, “Well, you heard the man, last call. Which means it’s time for farewells. Tonight, I’m joined by the very talented Gendry who is in a band of his own, although I’ve never seen him play, I’m sure he’s quite good. And just in case he’s not, go easy on him, will ya?” She smiled down at him and he blushed and waved a hand to the crowd. He had an idea of what she was getting him into and he was fairly confident he could hold his own.

Arya had started singing an old Irish song. Her voice was warm and light. Once she got to the chorus, Gendry joined in, trying his best to harmonize his voice with hers. Most of the other people in the bar just watched them while they finished their drinks. A few of them clapped the beat with their hands and joined in for the chorus as well. When they finished the first song, most people clapped. One person shouted a request and Arya looked at Gendry and he nodded back, signaling for her to take the lead again. 

After a few songs and one last song, the bar was empty save for himself, Arya, the bar owner, and Jojen. Jojen was stacking chairs while his dad, the bar owner, wiped down. Arya got up out of her seat and looked around. Gendry followed suit, but kept his eyes on her. He was certain he had outstayed his welcome and should head out or at the very least offer to help clean up.

“Would you like some help?” Gendry offered to Jojen.

“Don’t bother, we’re almost done. Why don’t you two head out?” Jojen told him.

“Are you sure?” Gendry asked for clarification.

“He’s sure,” Arya informed him, grabbing his hand and leading him out of the pub.

“Have a great night Mr. Reed!” she called back as she tugged Gendry along. He managed a smile and a wave at the two men while he tried to keep up with Arya. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter to go and it will get steamy, as promised! Stay tuned!

**Author's Note:**

> I've got majority of this fic already written and want to post in daily chunks. I know I still have other WIPs that I started forever ago and I am ashamed to be posting this without finishing at least one of those, but here we are.


End file.
